Perch



0. FREY.

Pinon.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 26, 1916- 1,331,908. Patented Feb. 24,1920.y

L gwueuro'z 3513 HOIMMJS.

. UNITED srirriis rnriinrl oFFicE.

oscAB. r-BEY, or NEW Y mx, N. Y.

` BEECH.

To all wlio'm imag/concern; Y

Be it known that L OscAR FREY, a citizen i of the United States, and a residentfof New j an York, county of Bronx, in the Stateof 'New York, have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Perches, of' which the following is a specification. Y v

My ii'nprovem'entl relates to perches which are provided iii cages for the. use of birds or other animals in captivity; While perclies .arev usually intended as resting places, they are also designed to aiford the birds or other animals such exercise as they get in jumping from perch to perch, the ordinary cagein the case of birds, being too small Vfor extended `tlight. This of course does not apply to large cages, such for ex# ample as are used for exhibition purposes, or by bird fanciers or inl aviaries.A Cages of this kind are usually large enough to ivefthe'captives opportunity to exercise by ying. My invention, however, is applica- :ble to cages otall sizes and in all lof themV serves the ,same purposes.

The ymain object of my invention i s to 'provide a perch for birds'which, in addition Yto performing these "usual functions, is constructed .to keep the bills of the birds sharp and their nails Yor claws in such condition vasfto'make the trimming o 'thempra'ctically unnecessary. YOne ofthe duties of inen having charge lofn birds in captivity is to trim theirclaws or nails Aat regular in- `Ytervals, and'this cannot be overlooked if the birds are. to be kept in healthy vcondition. My -invention makes v it'pos'sible to dispense with this work almost entirely, which 'iiot only lessens the labor ofthe men Ysoengaged, but obviates -'the danger of the birds becoming injured while being handled.

My invention ,also does awayfwith the'use of the cuttle fish when it is relied on as a means of enabling the bird to sharpen its :'bill or beak. 45

I accomplish t ese objects by providing a perchV so constructed that substantiallythe upperhalf is smooth in whole or in part, and substantially the; lower halfi's rough or "uneven in whole or in part. 'In thisfway,

as hereinafter more fully explained, I projvide Van artificial [means which approximates A'to Asome extent the natural conditions which itenderrit rimpossible 'forjbirds at -libertyfto `develop the'de'lects which myinvention is intended to cure. v

'l Referring to thedrawings, liliguief'l shows adapted to beslipped over an ordinary wooden perch. .'Fig. A3 shows my improved device as having its smooth and coarse surfaces alternating on both topand bottom.

' Fig. 41 is a side view partly cut away and illiistrates another form 'of my invention as hollow` throughout substantially half its Specification-of Letters Patent.l PatenfedFeb. 24, 19270. i Application ledvMay 216, 1916. `SerialNo. 99;.9490. l

len th with an opening at its lowest point,

an Fig. .'Sis a top view of a modification of. theu invention. i

Similar numerals indicate corresponding parts in the drawings.

l-represents the smooth parts of the forms 'A of perch shown, and 2 the roughened parts.

is a vertical slit or notchv in the ends of the form shown in Fig. 1, to'engage with a wire on either side of the cage, and illusfu d trates a simple way o f holding the perch in position; "4, 4l are 'circumferential grooves v'near the ends of the hollow perch, and show anotherisimp'le way of vfastening the device in position by pressing the wires aside sutliciently to insert the perch in place, the

wires when released assuming their normal position and'engaging with the said grooves. 5, 5 aresmall projections extending upward atw aslight inclination, and are designed to afford comparatively prominent points for thef bird to peck at or rub its bill against. These `Aare `not absolutely necessary, 'however, as the 'natural instinct of the bird will :cause it to use the proper part of the perch v.for the 'same purpose.. i y i In Figs. Sand 4 side notches 6 illustrate another way of'holdiiig the perch in place byhaving the same contact with the wires.

These side notches arepreferable in the case of lthe hollow,orpartly hollow perches, as

they will absolutely prevent the perches `from vany-iside movement.` y'

f The form-fof ml 'nvention shown in Fig.

4 illustrates the perch as hollow `for about Vhalf its'` length. The hollow section 13 extends *upwardv in a risingr curve from `the middle of the perch to an opening 14 which projects outside of the wires/of vthe cage,

'which 'contactwith the notches 6 and hold the 'perch from sidewise movement. At the middle 'of the perch where the hollow channelfends there is anu opening I5, the ltop of "which ,openingv is on 'a plane lsubstantiall parallel with the'to'p of the oneningl .This perch is designed lfor .the use joidiinki Y crushed stones, screened to suitable size, and

ing water forv the birds. A similar' perch can be used to hold food or seed. A cover 16 of ordinary design isy used' to close the opening 14 to keep the contents of the perch free from dust Vand dirt. The channel orA trough is preferablyglazedto facilitate theY movement of the food orwater to the proper point, and prevent the water from1soaking into the stonewhen stone is used.

7 InFig. 5 I show a top view of my perch Y in rough elliptical'form, narrowed at the ends and provided vwith the usual grooves to provide fastening means.

My invention can be constructed in different ways and of various shapes to suit requirements. Where the perch is to be used for birds I prefer that the upper part be made of a fine grade of stone, such, for

instance, as is known as hone-stone, andthe lower part of a coarser grade. the last mentioned grade, where its natural state does not meet requirements, being still further roughened .or broken awayin spots in any way.

Where the perch is made of two different grades of stone they can easily be cemented or fastened together in anyone ofv numerous-` well known ways.

Such perches ycan also be baked in any desired form or shape when made from artificial stone or clay.

I desire it to be understood, however, that my improved perch mayalso bel madel of the same grade of stone. The .upperpart can be shaped to the desired smoothness, and

the lower part chiseled, `or otherwise arranged, in such way as to give the irregularity or the unevenness or roughness required to wear away the growing claws of the bird bv subjectingthem to such'user as birds at liberty encounter,V

. lMy improved device can also be built up from a rounded or other piece of wood or vmetal as `a core, the upper surface of nec- .essary material beingcemented on, and

smoothed, and the lower cemented on and y roughened up or fashioned in the requisite way, as, for example, by the use of finely cemented on asV desired. Any natural Vor yartificial stone rcan be used. Portlandcement would make a good material. and carborundum would alsoserve. Glass too, in the form ofk tubing or rods, could be roughened to the necessary'degree on one side, or

in sections, by diamond chips, emery or car-V borundum. A piece of metal would also ing the perch in place, but I do not restrict vspecial conditions.

myself to these methods. Manyforms of clamps common to the art could also be used as fastening means. The simplest way would' be to make the perch slightly longerV than the width of the cage in which'itfis Vto be used, and press the ends between Ythe wires,jthe natural spring of the wiresholdincluding the smaller sizes needed forswinging` perches. It will, moreover, be easy to make a perch of any desired sizeYV to ;meet

One of the advantages of my invention is that it is more sanitary than anyperch heretofore vknown to the art, it will not afford any breeding places for vermin on account of the natural temperature of the stone, it can be Veasily taken out and cleaned or subjected to disinfection and, where the hollow style is used, another put inv place. Furthermore, when it. becomes wet from water thrownolf by the bird after or while taking a bath, it dries much quicker thana woodenperch, and is less likely to` give the bird cold. 1

Another advantage of my improved perch is its economy as it will last indefinitely.

-Wooden perches'after being cleaned and scraped a numbery of times, splinterv and wear away and have to be replaced. My perch can be taken out and cleansed Vthoroughly as often as desired without being injured in any way.

, v"While I have mainlyVV describedlmy invention as applicable tovbirds, it is selfyevidentthat it can also be used for other animals in captivity, notably those of the cat tribe.

What .I claim as new and desire to secureVV by. Letters Patent, is; r v l. A perch for the useiof birds or other animals 'in captivity, consisting throughout substantiallyV its entire length of'a smooth hard upperrsurfaceLand a lower uneven rough surface, substantially as described.

2. A perch loweratthe center than at the ends, the latter curving vupwardfand outward, half of saidperch being hollow,v

the hollow portion connecting withl an opening` through the upper surface at the lower open outer end of the hollow portion' adapted to be closed by` a removable cap,

an opening through the upper surface of the perch at its lowest point, thetop of said opening being substantially on a plane with the top of the first named opening, said hollow portion being adapted to holdwater or food for the bird or other animal, and fastening means at either end of said perch to prevent side movement, substantially as described. o

4. A perch for the use of birds or other animals in captivity which is lower at the center than at the ends, substantially half of said perch being hollow, an opening at or near said lower point communicating with said hollow channel, and means for fastening same in place.

5. A perch for the use of birds or other animals in captivity which is lower at the center than at the ends, substantially half of said perch being hollow, an opening at or near fsaid lower point communicating with said hollow channel, means for closing the outer end of said hollow channel, and means for fastening same in place, substantially as described. v

6; A perch for the use of birds or other animals in captivity which is lower at the center than at the ends, substantially half of said perch being hollow, an opening at one end of the latter, said opening being in connection, through said hollow part, with another opening through the upper surface of thehollow part, and means for fasteningV said openings being on substantiallyA the' same plane, and fastening kmeans to prevent side movement, substantially as described.

, 8. A perch consisting of sections that are practically smooth or even and rough or uneven, said sections being situated one above the other the entire length of the perch.

9. A bird cage perch comprising an abradant bird support having a smooth portion directly under the feet of a bird standing on the perch, andan abradant surface in contact with the claws.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

OSCAR FREY.

throughout substantially Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,331,908.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,331,908, granted February 24,

1920, upon the application of Oscar Frey, of New York, N. Y., for an improvement in Perohes, an error appears in the printed specication requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 68, and' page 2, line 10, for the Word top read side;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 00th day of March, A. D., 1920. l

M. H. COULSTON',

Acting ommissioner of Patents.

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